Motivation: Phoenix

Picture from my latest self project "Life of a warrior" ~ All rights reserved. 2019

Happy moments in life are a rewarding blessing. Hard moments are the teachers. They take us through the (sometimes painful) truth we need to realize in order to understand that it is necessary to let some sides die in order to be reborn again. And that is okay. 

Because no star arouse without a bit of chaos and you are the universe itself in ecstatic motion. You need that super nova to transform and elevate.☄

 Don't be afraid to enter that dance because you need it to seize the potential of your glorious existence. You are strong enough to pull it off, all you need is to believe, take a deep breath and dive into the ocean of cleanse, challenge and healing.🌊

 Then, you are gonna take your first breath at the surface, as the magical Phoenix you are. 🔥

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A post shared by Irinä Aleksainen (@norskelf) on Oct 29, 2019 at 11:32am PDT

Do you recall how many times you have struggled but you made it work out? How many times things fell apart but you chose to rise nevertheless? It was not a miracle nor something that just happened.

 It was the warrior within that fought and won.

 Give yourself those credits and empower your spirit because you have been stronger than anything you have encountered before and that should give you courage and hope in every challenge you're gonna face ahead. 

Trust yourself and keep going, because you will rise up once again🖤🙏

Hardships will come and go in life, but always remember that you are the captain. CHOOSE to extract wisdom out of them, let your spirit roam free and dream of everything you want to be. Tune in this frequency and start constracting an environment that serves this purpose. You will be surprised from how life changes when you invest all your energy not on fighting the past but on building the future while learning to enjoy the present.

Take a step and ask yourself: Do you see repeatition in outcomes that make you disatisfied? Chances are that all of them arise from the same root. Spot the patterns that made you sick, unhappy, unsuccessful, unmotivated and break them, no matter how uncomfortable it might be at the beginning.

The fact that you got used to some certain ways of thinking and acting in order to survive, doesn't mean that it is the best for you nor that it serves the person you are today and the one you want to become tomorrow. And that is okay. Life flows, circumstances change and so do (and should) we. We are meant to grow and involve. Don't disrupt this process, embrace it and consciously enhance it. Of course this will not happen overnight, it needs time, persistence, patience and effort. But prior to that, you need to DECIDE to do it, truly, sincerely and consciously. And that my dear, happens in one moment. 

The moment you DECIDE to take your life in your own hands, is the first day of your whole new self. A new life painted with your own colours. Celebrate it, commit to it, put your passion and vivid hues in it. Distance yourself from anything that dims your bright light, be the starlight in those hopeless nights, be the rainbow in the rainy days, and I assure you, the sunshine will be so bright. Believe, dare and be reborn. Just like a Phoenix.

Thank you for checking up here but before you go, I want to share with you a song, sent to me by one of my favourite people out there. It is called "Phoenix" and is pretty accurate and symbolic. If you made it through this point, chances are that the lyrics will ressonate a lot and talk to your soul, the same way they touched mine. Enjoy❤



Lyrics:

What are you willing to lose?

You cover your wounds, but underneath them

A million voices in your head that whisper, "Stop, now"

Another twist of the knife, turn of the screws

It's all in your mind and it's fighting you

Arm yourself, a storm is coming

Well, kid, what you gonna do now?

It's your reflection looking back to pull you down

So are you gonna die today or make it out alive?

You gotta conquer the monster in your head and then you'll fly

Fly, phoenix, fly

It's time for a new empire

Go bury your demons then tear down the ceiling

Phoenix, fly

And now you're playing with matches

Come out of the ashes underneath you

A million voices in the crowd they're screaming, "Stop, now"

We'll let 'em swallow their pride, you're turning the tide to true believers

Got them in the palm of your hand, you're playing God now

What you gonna do now?

It's your reflection looking back to pull you down

So are you gonna die today or make it out alive?

You gotta conquer the monster in your head and then you'll fly

Fly, phoenix, fly

It's time for a new empire

Go bury your demons then tear down the ceiling

Phoenix, fly

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Fitness: Workouts: Leg/Glute day bomb

Hello fellow warriors and welcome back to my blog.

Today I am sharing with you a very hot lowerbody workout i crushed and enjoyed to the moon and back. Note that the following routine needs quite precise execution and proper form in order to preserve your safety and get the most out of your workout. Perform the exercises slowly and under full control to crush those muscle fibers and feel the burn.

Note: This is a very advanced routine. Do not go for this level if you are a beginner or moderate athlete. Go for half the number of the sets on the basic workout and gradually work your way up.

*Also you might want to check out another glute routine i posted, here*


Note2: Choose a weight that is challenging for you but still in your comfort range in order to make it through ALL THESE SETS.

Note3: Have a GOOD preworkout meal and a lot of water/isotonic intra workout drink. This workout is going to explode your brain out.

Let's begin:

Warm up: I went for a 20 minute walk to the gym - preworkout

Muscle activation:
Bodyweight side kicks (1x15/side)
Resistance bands side kicks (1x15/side)
Bodyweight lunges (1x10/side)
Bodyweight Squats - regular leg position(2x10)
Bodyweight Glute extensions (2x8/side)

Workout:
Romanian Deadlifts (4x8)
Sumo Deadlifts (4x8)
Stiff Legged Deadlifts (3x8)
Regular kettle ball squats (4x8)
Sumo kettle ball squats (4x8)
Plie squats (3x8)
Legpress: Glute focus (position your heels higher and put the stress there) 4x8
                 Quad focus (position your heels lower and put the stress across the entire foot) 4x8
Leg curls: 4x8
Leg extentions: 4x8
Bodyweight glute bridges: 2x8
Single leg glute bridge: 2x8/side
Very heavy dumbbell calf raises: 1x15

Heavy ab curls: 60reps
Static Stretching: (click here to find out why and how to do it correctly)

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A post shared by Irina Aleksainen (@irina_lainen_arvoitus) on Aug 27, 2019 at 1:35pm PDT

That was it guys for today! If you give it a shot hit me with your feedback on the training and also the post training feelings. Hope you enjoyed :D Stay tuned for more updates and feel free to contact me through the info below for any question or request you may have!

Cheers,

Irina❤

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Keywords: #fitness #fit #workout #glutes #motivation #inspiration #gym #gymlife #personaltrainer #coach #legs #bodybuilding  #weightloss #trainer #fatburn #advanced #athlete #legs #legday

Fitness: Nutrition: RICE CAKE HACK

Fitness: Nutrition: RICE CAKE  HACKS

Today I am gonna share with you one of the most helpful tricks i apply in regards to rice cakes on my diet. First of all, why rice cakes at the first place?

(I am the happiest when I am next to food)

• Rich in fiber
• Sugar free (extra important for weightloss/cutting periods)
• Lightweight - easy to carry
• Low calories in big volume which allows yout to consume larger quantity 
• Neutral taste 

This last one bullet hides the secret of my hack. Neutral taste means that you can combine it pretty much with everything and still get a decent result texture and flavor wise. 

Of course, rice cakes are low calorie but their toppings (exactly because they can be anything) might increase the caloric intake rapidly and hence should be taken under consideration when you are snacking on rice cakes. Peanut butter and jelly sound ideal but launch the calories (and sugar) per waffle so it can be a bummer if you are trying to reach satiation through this snack. On the other hand, many people go for savoury versions with cheese and bacon or other highfat options (ex. avocado WITH salmon AND cheese) to bring that spice on. Guess what, bummer again.

So what can you do to enjoy still large quantity of rice cakes but also stay on track with your calories and macros? Is it possible to have alternative flavors without overdoing it? Y E S. 

How? There you go:

Especially in days that I am extra hungry and i want to squeeze a low calorie snack, I choose rice cakes with cottage cheese, as it is FULL of protein with relatively low calories itself too. But it is boring as a single topping. What I do, is small low to no-calorie adjustments to turn it either sweet or savoury and satisfy my cravings and hunger. Here is an example of a snack I consumed recently:

My picture. All copyrights reserved.

Savoury cakes: Cottage cheese + curry + paprika (or pizza seasoning)

                             Cottage cheese + black pepper + olives (to enhance the taste and bring saltiness)

Sweet cake:      Cottage cheese + 1/3 tsp honey + cinnamon + 5gr nuts and raisins

So do you see the trick? Instead of adding the entire food with the spice you crave, you isolate it and add the flavor right away, without the calories of the extra topping (like bacon, cheese, sauce or extra salt). In the sweet waffle, the caloric addition is minimal but the texture and flavors are upgraded. 

Consequently you can have 2 or 3 extra cakes with the combo(s) of your choice without getting too much out of your plan but still enjoy your snack and feel satiated.

Other low calorie toppings to experiment with: 

• spices, 
• cucumber, 
• cabbage, 
• yogurt, 
• raisins, 
• pickles, 
• grapes, 
• mushrooms, 
• boiled eggwhites, 
• boiled turkey/chicken slices, 
• strawberries (and further berry family), 
• pesto sauce, 
• [shredded tomato with basil, oregano, salt, pepper, garlic] or 
• 1tsp peanut butter with bitter cocoa powder as substitution to choco spreads with way less sugar .

That's it for today! I hope this hack will work for you, as for me, it has worked WONDERS and made my cutting periods way less miserable. Feel free to share it with your friends and follow me on social media to stay updated for more upcoming content.

Take care and keep smiling!

Irinä 

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Keywords: #fitness #fit #nutrition #diet #motivation #inspiration #gym #gymlife #personaltrainer #lifehacks #ricecakes #bodybuilding  #weightloss #lowcalorie

Motivation: The mindset of a warrior

Motivation: The mindset of a warrior

Maximum shredded, summer 2019
All copyrights reserved.

What most people don't realise is that a well trained strong body is far more than a tight arrangement of bone and flesh. To those people, the beauty stops on the surface because they are absolutely unaware of what it really takes to get there and all the mental evolution that comes together.

The most important trait, common among the people who met success but stayed humble, caring, polite and sensitive, is the mindset of a warrior.

A warrior has known immense pain, failure, discomfort but kept going. A warrior has won the ultimate battle with himself and learned to support his vision when everything around is falling apart. A warrior has gone through fire and flames before he managed to understand that discipline, loyalty, commitment, honesty, persistence, isolation, independence, self motivation, research and struggle are not his enemy but his best friends to grow and meet success.

A warrior has learned to love himself when his initial insecurities and environment give him a thousand reasons not to. A warrior chose to keep going a step further after any obstacle dropped him down. In order to be a warrior, one made sacrifices, changed himself and reshaped his reality in order to be entirely in charge and responsible for his own self. .

A warrior knows only true, pure and everlasting love for himself, his people and his goals. And hence a warrior can not survive in a cage nor among people who choose to be the sheep instead of wolf. A warrior knows that being strong doesn't mean turning his heart stone cold but instead keeping it pure and gentle while fighting hard as an iron. .

A warrior stays true to himself, his path & morals. A warrior will choose hard work and growth over the easy fix. A warrior will recognize another warrior because when everyone else sees nicely arranged flesh, he'll be able to see the mindset behind that and instantly connect. .

A warrior among other warriors will feel empowered, understood and celebrated, enlightened, inspired and peaceful. He will feel challenged to progress and not to compete for ego but to evolve for himself. That is why he will never be able to settle for less.

That is why scars, failures and struggles have to be worn as trophies of persistence and hardwork. The greatest pride a warrior can have, is the effort, passion and dedication he put in, that is what makes a winner on the finishing line, whereas all the others cracked on obstacles and remained there.

Be a warrior. Win your own battle. Be the king of your own world.

"When you go through hardships and you decide not to surrender, that is strength."

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Thank you for checking back here. Feel free to share the vibe around.

 For any questions/ post requests/ feedback/ collaborations and communication, feel free to use my contact information below.

Keep thriving, keep believing in yourself, keep fighting for excellence in life.

Irinä

CONTACT INFORMATION

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Keywords: #fitness #fit #warrior #mindset #motivation #inspiration #gym #gymlife #personaltrainer #arnold #abs #bodybuilding

Motivation: Lifestyle: HEALTH AND ANGER

Welcome back to my blog, you shiny beam! ☀💚

Let's talk about Health and Anger today. I will keep it short, yet powerful because this is an inseparable part of life and thus important to handle.

➡️Do I ever cringe or get pissed? YES.
➡️Do I lose track of my self control? NO.
❓ How do I cope with it❓
✅ ALONE TIME + PHYSICAL ACTIVITY✅
.
.
I have mentioned numerous time that health is not only what you eat but also what you think. Negative emotions are a part of life and there are various sources of it. What one can do, besides excluding the constant sources, is to acknowledge the negative energy that flows around and consciously try to cleanse himself in case he's been infected with it.



It is very important to be conscious in this procedure because that means:

✅ You are being honest with yourself
✅ You acknowledge the situation
✅ You actively get in charge of your wellness
✅ You recognize that you want to vibe higher and not be consumed by the negativity of others

Back in my teens I used to be either quite explosive or extremely introverted and forcing everything inwards, which of course is the worst thing one can do as this accumulated stress will take its toll overtime.💥 Furthermore, i figured out that anger blocks any potential of actual understanding the people and circumstances around you, the roots of discomfort and all the possible lessons you can extract out of a negative situation.

What helped me A LOT in terms of dealing with these situations while still maintaining my mental health at a good point AND has made me gain control of myself has been the powerful combo: ALONE TIME + PHYSICAL ACTIVITY.🙏💫


I usually take some time for myself, disconnected from people or social in order to delve into my own thoughts and evaluate the situation in my own criteria, unaffected by any emotional trigger. What helps a lot is to physically release that tension. When I am sad I usually hit heavy weights at the gym. When I am angry I usually prefer being outdoors and using my body in full controlled movements, such as side kicks. The level of concentration I need to perform isometric hold of them is pretty demanding and actively directs my mind into a more balanced state.🙏


The take home message of it is that you should ALWAYS be in charge of your own self.🌸 How you choose to react displays who YOU are and hence should not depend on who mistreated you or the source of anger. CHOOSE to vibe higher, CHOOSE to think healthy, CHOOSE to take care of yourself, CHOOSE to live a life you deserve 💫❤ Remember: 

Thanks for checking back here :) I hope this small insight gave you some inspiration to handle anger in a way that serves your wellness and real mental state. Stay tuned for more updates! In the meantime follow me on social media for daily content, tips and positive vibe exchange, as I absolutely love interacting with you and sharing more.

Have a nice day!

Irina❤

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Motivation: That daily friend in the mirror

Hello soulshines!

Long time no see as reality takes over hard but I always make time to at least update my Insta for whoever is interested in getting daily insights on my work and vibes.

Talking about daily things... what about that person you see in the mirror every day?

Is it a friend or not? Is it someone you love and feel proud of?

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A post shared by Irina Aleksainen (@irina_lainen_arvoitus) on Jul 2, 2019 at 9:32am PDT

Every day take a second and ask that person in the mirror: 
✅ Do my actions bring me closer to who I want to be?
✅ Did I treat myself with love and respect today?
✅ Is the environment around promoting me to be my best version?
✅ Did I make time to appreciate every little thing and Express gratitude?
✅ Did I create memories which make me happy to be alive?

💥💥💥 For every question whose answer was NO, take 5 minutes to sit down, spend time with yourself and reprogram your mind and routine. Yourself is the greatest investment ever so don't skip regular check ups on your well being.❤ 

Life takes over and that is fine, that's why it is important to consciously gravitate back to your state of balance 💥💥💥

Be your biggest supporter, keep thriving and stay tuned here for more content coming soon!

 Keep in touch through social media (info below). 

Tons of positive vibes,

Irinä

CONTACT INFORMATION

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Keywords: fitness fit wellness wellbeing healthy health coach lifestyle motivation inspiration courage positive vibes